Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Development of high-k hafnium–aluminum oxide dielectric films using sol–gel process

  • Article
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, high-k hafnium–aluminum oxide (HAO) films were synthesized by the sol–gel technique. The effects of the ratio of Hf and Al on the properties of the HAO films were investigated thoroughly. The average optical transmittance of the HAO films was above 88% within the visible light range and Al incorporation in HfO2 can enlarge the band gap of HAO films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that Al additive can suppress the crystallization of HfO2 and the HAO films were amorphous in structure. The refractive index of HAO films can be modulated with the ratio of Hf and Al in the HAO films. The HAO films with the ratio of Hf and Al = 2:1 obtained excellent performance including the root mean square (RMS) roughness of 0.26 nm, the relative permittivity of 12.1, the leakage current density of 1.69 × 10−7 A/cm2 at 2 MV/cm, and the etching rate in dilute HF solution less than 1 nm/s.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

FIG. 1
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
FIG. 6
FIG. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. R.A. Street: Thin-film transistors. Adv. Mater. 21, 2007 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. K. Nomura, H. Ohta, A. Takagi, T. Kamiya, M. Hirano, and H. Hosono: Room-temperature fabrication of transparent flexible thin-film transistors using amorphous oxide semiconductors. Nature 432, 488 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. S. Choi, B-Y. Park, and H-K. Jung: Growth and characterization of sol-gel prepared Gd2O3 films as gate insulators for Zn-Sn-O thin film transistors. Thin Solid Films 534, 291 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. H. Shimizu, T. Sato, S. Konagai, M. Ikeda, T. Takahashi, and T. Nishide: Temperature-programmed desorption analyses of sol-gel deposited and crystallized HfO2 films. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 46, 4209 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. G.D. Wilk, R.M. Wallace, and J.M. Anthony: High-k gate dielectrics: Current status and materials properties considerations. J. Appl. Phys. 89, 5243 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. H. Wong and V.A. Gritsenko: Defects in silicon oxynitride gate dielectric films. Microelectron. Reliab. 42, 597 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. C-Y. Tsay, C-H. Cheng, and Y-W. Wang: Properties of transparent yttrium oxide dielectric films prepared by sol-gel process. Ceram. Int. 38, 1677 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. X.F. Li, E.L. Xin, and J.H. Zhang: Low-temperature solution-processed zirconium oxide gate insulators for thin-film transistors. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 60, 3413 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. K. Song, W. Yang, Y. Jung, S. Jeong, and J. Moon: A solution-processed yttrium oxide gate insulator for high-performance all-solution-processed fully transparent thin film transistors. J. Mater. Chem. 22, 21265 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. M.T. Soo, N. Prastomo, A. Matsud, G. Kawamur, H. Mutob, A.F.M. Noor, Z. Lockman, and K.Y. Cheong: Elaboration and characterization of sol-gel derived ZrO2 thin films treated with hot water. Appl. Surf. Sci. 258, 5250 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Z.J. Wang, T. Kumagai, H. Kokawa, J. Tsuaur, M. Ichiki, and R. Maeda: Crystalline phases, microstructures and electrical properties of hafnium oxide films deposited by sol-gel method. J. Cryst. Growth 281, 452 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. J. Peng, Q. Sun, S. Wang, H-Q. Wang, and W. Ma: Low-temperature solution-processed alumina as gate dielectric for reducing the operating-voltage of organic field-effect transistors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 061603 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. L. Zhang, J. Li, X.W. Zhang, X.Y. Jiang, and Z.L. Zhang: High performance ZnO-thin-film transistor with Ta2O5 dielectrics fabricated at room temperature. Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 072112 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. C.S. Kim, S.J. Jo, S.W. Lee, W.J. Kim, H.K. Baik, S.J. Lee, D.K. Hwang, and S. Im: High-k and low-k nanocomposite gate dielectrics for low voltage organic thin film transistor. Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 243515 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. C-H. Hsua, C-F. Tseng, C-H. Lai, H-H. Tung, and S-Y. Lin: Structural and electrical characteristics of ZrO2-TiO2 thin films by sol-gel method. Mater. Sci. Eng., B 175, 181 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Y-P. Gong, A-D. Li, X. Qian, C. Zhao, and D. Wu: Interfacial structure and electrical properties of ultrathin HfO2 dielectric films on Si substrates by surface sol-gel method. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42, 015405 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. A.G. Khairnar and A.M. Mahajan: Effect of post-deposition annealing temperature on RF-sputtered HfO2 thin film for advanced CMOS technology. Solid State Sci. 15, 24 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. M-H. Cho, Y.S. Roh, C.N. Whang, K. Jeong, H.J. Choi, S.W. Nam, D-H. Ko, J.H. Lee, N.I. Lee, and K. Fujihara: Dielectric characteristics of Al2O3-HfO2 nanolaminates on Si(100). Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1071 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. I-S. Park, K-M. Ryu, J. Jeong, and J. Ahn: Dielectric stacking effect of Al2O3 and HfO2 in metal-insulator-metal capacitor. IEEE Electron Device Lett. 34, 120 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. H. Son, J. Kim, J. Yang, D. Cho, and M. Yi: Improvements in the device characteristics of IZO-based transparent thin-film transistors with co-sputtered HfO2-Al2O3 gate dielectrics. Curr. Appl. Phys. 11, S135 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Z.L. Pei, L. Pereira, G. Gonçalves, P. Barquinha, N. Franco, E. Alves, A.M.B. Rego, R. Martins, and E. Fortunato: Room-temperature cosputtered HfO2-Al2O3 multicomponent gate dielectrics. Electrochem. Solid-State Lett. 12, G65 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Y.H. Hwang, J-S. Seo, J.M. Yun, H. Park, S. Yang, S-H.K. Park, and B-S. Bae: An ‘aqueous route’ for the fabrication of low-temperature-processable oxide flexible transparent thin-film transistors on plastic substrates. NPG Asia Mater. 5, 1 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  23. A.R. Phani, M. Passacantando, and S. Santucci: Synthesis and characterization of hafnium oxide and hafnium aluminate ultra-thin films by a sol-gel spin coating process for microelectronic applications. J. Non-Cryst. Solids 353, 663 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Y-K. Chiou, C-H. Chang, C-C. Wang, K-Y. Lee, T-B. Wu, R. Kwo, and M.J. Hong: Effect of Al incorporation in the Thermal stability of atomic-layer-deposited HfO2 for gate dielectric applications. J. Electrochem. Soc. 154, G99–G102 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Y.B. Yoo, J.H. Park, K.H. Lee, H.W. Lee, K.M. Song, S.J. Lee, and H.K. Baik: Solution-processed high-k HfO2 gate dielectric processed under softening temperature of polymer substrates. J. Mater. Chem. C 1, 1651 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. W. Yang, K. Song, Y. Jung, S. Jeong, and J. Moon: Solution-deposited Zr-doped AlOx gate dielectrics enabling high-performance flexible transparent thin film transistors. J. Mater. Chem. C 1, 4278 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  27. K.J. Wang and K.Y. Cheong: Investigation of sol-gel derived HfO2 on 4H-SiC. Appl. Surf. Sci. 254, 1981 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. J.B. Kim, C. Fuentes-Hernandez, W.J. Potscavage, Jr., X-H. Zhang, and B. Kippelen: Low-voltage InGaZnO thin-film transistors with Al2O3 gate insulator grown by atomic layer deposition. Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 142107 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. R. Vos, S. Arnauts, I. Bovie, B. Onsia, S. Garaud, K. Xu, Y. HongYu, S. Kubicek, E. Rohr, T. Schram, A. Veloso, T. Conard, L.H.A. Leunissen, and P.W. Mertens: Challenges with respect to high-k/metal gate stack etching and cleaning. ECS Trans. 11, 278 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 61006005, the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission under Grant 13520500200 and 14XD1401800, and the Shanghai Visiting Oriental Scholar Program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Advanced Display and System Application, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200072, China

    Leyong Zhu, Yana Gao, Xifeng Li, X. W. Sun & Jianhua Zhang

Authors
  1. Leyong Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yana Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xifeng Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. X. W. Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jianhua Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xifeng Li or Jianhua Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhu, L., Gao, Y., Li, X. et al. Development of high-k hafnium–aluminum oxide dielectric films using sol–gel process. Journal of Materials Research 29, 1620–1625 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2014.186

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2014.186

Search

Navigation